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A new report from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), concludes that substantial investments are needed to make smart grids a reality. The study reviewed 219 smart grid projects Europe-wide, which have a total investment value of approximately €5.5 billion, and found new Member States (“EU12”) tended to lag behind in implementation.

Clean Urban Energy (CUE) has secured $7 million in Series A financing, which will be applied to rapid product development and a multi-city expansion within the United States to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston. The investment was co-led by Battery Ventures and Rho Ventures.

The National Action Plan Coalition (NAPC) has released a Demand Response and Smart Grid Communications Action Guide in compliance with the National Action Plan released by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in June 2010.

Silver Spring Networks has filed a registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price for each share has not yet been determined but the company hopes to raise up to $150 million.

EnerNOC’s acquisition of Energy Response, the largest demand response provider in Australia and New Zealand, has significantly strengthened the company’s presence in Western Australia’s Wholesale Electricity Market. EnerNOC reports that the deal enables it “to deliver 240 megawatts of demand response capacity in the 2012/2013 delivery year, up from its initial position of 100 megawatts.”

In the middle of June, Chris Anderson, the Gulf Islanders for Safe Technology chairman, led a delegation to the Islands Trust Council’s quarterly meeting on Denman Island. Anderson’s group has highlighted concerns with the planned smart meters deployment throughout British Columbia across the province, including potential health risks posed by electromagnetic radiation, privacy issues, the risk of information hacking, and increased costs.

INFRAX Systems, which provides smart grid-related products and services for the energy and utility industries, is acquiring Southern Power & Controls (SPC), a privately-held electrical contractor, for $4.9 million in cash plus stock. As per terms of the deal, INFRAX will continue to support Southern Power & Control’s customer base and expand their offerings to include the implementation of INFRAX’s smart grid product portfolio.

This month’s final print edition of Ecos – Australia’s longest running magazine on science and sustainability – features expert commentary on the drivers of rising household electricity bills identified in the recently released eighth update to Professor Ross Garnaut’s Climate Change Review for the Australian Government. Professor Garnaut’s recommendations in his Transforming the Electricity Sector report, underscore the value of CSIRO’s research on the ‘future grid’.